In the span of half a century, the National Endowment for the Arts has supported some of the most fundamental arts and cultural movements and individuals in this country's history, from funding Pulitzer Prize-winner Alice Walker's first novel to providing seed money to a young Robert Redford towards what is now the Sundance Institute. The organization ensures the presence of art in some of the country's most underserved areas.
Created in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts was established as a means of embracing arts and culture in the United States. According to the organization, the arts contribute over $700 billion dollars annually to the domestic economy, and nearly five million Americans are employed in arts and culture industries. In addition, consumer spending in the performing arts quadrupled from 1998-2013. It seems reasonable to invest in a thriving industry that recirculates wealth on a national level, yet President Trump has proposed to close the NEA, which would save only .004% of the federal budget, or 46 cents per American.
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